1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a broom stand, and in particular, relates to a stand that may be used to support a push broom in an upright orientation or to hang a push broom from an elevated surface.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical push broom consists of an elongated, cylindrical handle having a head to which bristles are attached. A person uses a push broom by orienting the bristles against the ground and pushing the broom with the handle so that the bristles scrape against the ground, thereby sweeping debris from the ground.
It is common for a push broom to be supported in an upright position when the broom is not being used. But unless a user has ready access to a wall to lean the broom against, there is no easy and convenient means of supporting a push broom in an upright position when the broom is not being used. Hence, a user often resorts to lying the push broom flat on the ground when the user is not using the broom. This is often the case when the user is taking a brief break from sweeping and the nearest wall to support the broom upright is considered too far away. But there are certain drawbacks associated with laying a push broom flat on the ground.
For example, an unsuspecting person may easily trip over a broom that is left laying on the ground. Moreover, a push broom that is left unattended on the ground presents the risk that a person will accidentally step on the head of the broom. This may cause the broom handle to swing upward at a high rate of speed and possibly strike the person in the body or face, which may potentially cause serious injury to the person.
Further, a person must stoop down to pick up a broom lying on the ground. Repeated stooping up and down to pick up a broom from the floor is tiresome, and may cause injury to a person's back. Existing back injuries may also be exacerbated if the individual is required to repeatedly bend over to pick up a broom. Further, some injuries may prevent a person from picking a broom off the floor, or may make it very difficult to do so.
Even if a person has access to a wall to lean the broom against, it may not always be desirable to lean a broom against a wall. If the broom is left with the bristles of the broom lying against the ground at an angle so as to bend the bristles, the bristles may eventually warp in shape from supporting the weight of the broom, especially during longer periods of storage. Furthermore, leaning a broom against a wall may be impractical, as the broom may use up space that is needed for storage of other items. In such instances, it may be desirable to hang the broom to conserve space. Unfortunately, there is no easy means of hanging a push broom absent installing a hook on a wall which is often troublesome or inconveniently located.
In view of the foregoing drawbacks, there is a need for a device and method a push broom in an upright position without leaning the broom against a wall. There is also a need for a way to support a broom in a hanging orientation without requiring the installation of a hook on a wall.